1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an image pick-up apparatus. More particularly, the invention relates to an image pick-up apparatus in which, on a substrate having a plurality of photoelectric converting areas, a solid-state image pick-up element provided with at least one pattern layer formed by divisional exposure and a lens for inputting light into the plurality of photoelectric converting areas of the solid-state image pick-up element are formed and to an image pick-up system.
2. Related Background Art
When a fine pattern has to be formed over a large area, for example, when a large-sized solid-state image pick-up apparatus is formed, a technique called a divisional exposing technique is used for exposing a pattern of a large area. As an example of such a technique, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H05-006849 (corresponding to U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,561,317 and 5,731,131) can be mentioned. FIG. 8 is a diagram for explaining the case where an image pick-up element of a size larger than an exposure area of a reduction projecting apparatus is divided into halves and exposed. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a schematic construction of the reduction projecting apparatus.
In FIG. 8, reference numeral 103 denotes an image pick-up element of a size larger than the exposure area of the reduction projecting apparatus; 104 an effective pixel area (pixel area used as data to actually form an image excluding an optical black pixel area or the like); 105R an exposure area of a right reticule; and 105L an exposure area of a left reticule. The image pick-up element 103 is formed by joining the exposure areas 105R and 105L and divisionally exposing them. In the diagram, a joint line at a joint position of the solid-state image pick-up element (boundary line where patterns are joined in an overlapped portion of the exposure area 105R of the right reticule and the exposure area 105L of the left reticule) is shown.
In the reduction projecting apparatus shown in FIG. 9, light from a light source 230 passes through a condenser lens 240, a reticule 250, and a projection lens 260 and is projected as pattern light onto a wafer 220 on a stage 200 through a pattern 251 formed on the reticule 250, so that an image pick-up element chip 210 is formed. The stage 200 is movable in the X-Y directions. The divisional exposure is executed by exchanging the reticule and moving the stage 200. Although the case of the 2-divisional exposure has been explained here, there is also a case where 3-divisional exposure or 6-divisional exposure is executed.
On assembling the solid-state image pick-up element 103 into a solid-state image pick-up apparatus 310 such as a still camera or the like as shown in FIG. 10, if a center of an optical axis of a lens 300 of the still camera does not fall on the joint line at the joint position of the solid-state image pick-up element (boundary line where the patterns are joined in the overlapped portion of the exposure area 105R of the right reticule and the exposure area 105L of the left reticule as shown in FIG. 8) but is arranged in the position spaced from the joint line as shown in FIG. 11, the following problem occurs: that is, an output level difference, a bright line, a black bar, or the like is liable to be conspicuous in the right or left portions of the joint line. Details of such a problem will be explained in the description of the invention.